Disclaimer: All bow to Mercedes Lackey for her wonderful works! She and not me, is responsible for the land of Valdemar and certain characters.
A/N: Italic's means thoughts, (not mindspeech) and :blah: means mindspeech.
Reviewer thankie!
Fireblade K'chona: Thankie Mucho! I love your new last name. It makes it easier to identify you. Iya! Your puppy dog eyes defeated me, here's the next chapter. *grins*
Andi: Don't be distressed. Next chapter is written! Hehe, biased you, yeah, I suppose, since you were the first one I went to when my plot bunnies bit me with it. Thanks for the review! I'll try to be more careful in the spelling and grammar areas. Tak!
Chapter Two: Goodbyes
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Lira sighed. Her wish had come true. She was leaving with a Herald, but now that it was actually happening, it didn't seem that grand. She was leaving her home, a place she had lived her whole life. Although it was true that she didn't have any friends, at least the people were familiar and kind, in a gooey, forced way, but kind all the same.
She walked around the village one last time. Breathing in the scents, and imagining the village as she had seen it before her accident. She knew that she was lucky that she had once been able to see at all. She also knew, that it was time to say goodbye to familiar sites.
She felt strong arms envelop her, and she tensed and then relaxed as she identified her holder.
"Goodbye da," Lira said, turning to face her father, holding back tears. Right now, she wished that Herald Kaho, hadn't put up shields around her. She would have liked to see what her father was really thinking. Stop it! Lira thought to herself. Why should you want to know that? You know your dad loves you. That should be enough for you.
She heard another pair of footsteps come closer to her. But, could not identify the walker. Dang these shields, Lira thought again, I'm as helpless as a baby is. While other people can identify what others are thinking with their eyes, Lira had come to rely on her Gift, for identifying and knowing where others were and what they were thinking.
"It's time to go, Lira" It was a woman's voice, husky, and well educated. A Heralds voice. Lira turned to her father.
"Tell ma, an' all the rest that I'll miss 'em." Lira whispered sadly, thinking about her younger sister and brother, Tricia and Richie.
They had said goodbyes the night before.
********************** FLASHBACK ***********************
"Ma, Da, I got some news" Lira said quietly, trying to find her way to her Ma but stumbling into her brother instead. She knew, but couldn't feel, the surprise on Richie's face. She never bumped into humans. The shield that Herald Kaho had around her, was too strong for her to see other peoples thoughts, and therefore she could not sense them.
"We're over here, Lira." She heard her mothers voice and reeled over sharply to the right. She had been going entirely in the wrong direction. Small hands turned her in the right direction, guiding her gently, towards her parents.
Lira turned red in embarrassment. Her sister, her younger sister, was helping her. It should be the other way around.
"Thank you Tric." Lira mumbled, barely keep the resentment out of her voice.
"I don't need your thanks Lira, being your sister is enough for me." Lira felt tears come to her eyes, and she felt her resentment disappear in one great rush. Her sister at 12, was two years younger, and still way ahead of her in the courtesy department.
"What'cha need ta tell us?" Her mother asked, Lira could hear her crocheting, by the fire.
"A- a Herald came by today." Lira told them quietly.
"She, she want to take me with her, to train me." She could hear the gasps of amazement, in the small cabin. Then her sister's hand found her own again.
"I'm glad Lira, real glad," Tric said, squeezing her hand lightly. "It's what you've wanted." Lira shook her head. She didn't deserve a sister like Tric, who didn't have a jealous bone in her body.
She could hear Richie's loud squeals of excitement that his sister was going to go become a special herald. She grinned. She'd let the four-year-old think what he wanted. She could imagine him going around to all his friends telling them, his sister, was going to become someone special.
"We're leaving tomorrow."
******************** / FLASHBACK *********************
She shook her head clear of the thoughts from the night before.
"I love ya Da, I'll write, I promise when I learn how," Herald Kaho, had promised Lira that she would learn. "Ya can get Father Herbidge ta read it for ya. Bye." She squeezed her father into a tight hug, and let the Herald take her hand and lead her to her new life.
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It had taken two weeks, of hard Companion riding for the Herald and the girl to reach the outskirts of Haven.
In fact, Lira was just getting used to the riding, when they reached their destination. After much convincing and begging, the Herald had resisted taking down the shields on Lira. Knowing that it was better for Lira this way, without having multiple voice charging like rhino's inside ones mind. She had experience. She sighed, too much experience.
:Mali, how's the girl doing? She hasn't talked to me since I refused to take the shield's down.: She could hear the Companion equivalent of a chuckle.
:It's not funny, Mali: Ugh, how come she, of all the Heralds, was stuck with a Companion that thought it was funny that someone wasn't talking to you?
:Chosen, she definitely is talking, in fact, she's shouting. I suggest you take down the shields for a few seconds, and see how she reacts.: Kaho rolled her eyes. Her Companion also had a wry sense of humor. But he did have a point. Maybe if the girl had the shields down after days of being protected, she'd understand why there were needed. Oy, this girl was so difficult. She concentrated for a moment, and took the layers of shields down. Before the last one was gone, she told Mali to stop. If her estimate was correct. The girl was going to collapse.
The shields were down. It took a few seconds for the girl to react. Kaho had her shields up at full blast to protect herself from Lira's 'shouting.' Then Lira's eyes rolled up into her head, and she swayed dangerously to one side. Kaho carefully lowered some of her own shields.
:Now, do you see why a shield is necessary, girl?: She didn't receive a response. But then again, she didn't expect too. The girl was probably sorting through all of the voices being shot at her.
Kaho rushed the girls shields back up in less time then it took to take them down, and the girl collapsed in a heap of Mali's back. Kaho dismounted, and walked to the place where the girl was laying.
"You were right." The girl said before Kaho got to her. She sat up slowly, and shook her head as if to clear it of any remaining voices. She looked up meekly into Kaho's eyes.
"'M sorry I've been so difficult, Herald. I'll be good now, I promise." Kaho sighed in relief. Finally!
: I have to admit it, horse, that was a dang good idea. Maybe finally, I'll have a conversation with someone other then my brain or a blue-eyed demon.: Mali snorted and rode off, without his Herald or the girl on his back.
"No, Mali, I didn't mean it! Come back!"
Mali glanced behind him merrily. His eyes twinkling in mischief and he winked.
Kaho groaned, this was going to be a long, walk into Haven.
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A/N: Big, huge Lollypops for all who reviewed! *Hands them out to Fireblade and Andi, while eating one herself* Mmmm, I love lollypops, and there useful as a weapon. *whacks an offending pop up* Anyway, back to me, well the story I suppose. Lira has finally reached the capital, and has gotten over her silence. Yada yada yada. See y'all next chapter hopefully!
Cheers without tears,
Stee